New England Patriots select QB Danny Etling No. 219 in the 2018 NFL Draft
With the No. 219th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots selected LSU quarterback, Danny Etling.
It was an open secret that the New England Patriots were looking at quarterbacks in the 2018 NFL Draft. They were rumored to be interested in multiple prospects, including Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson and Mason Rudolph.
Mayfield ended up going No. 1 to the Cleveland Browns. New England ended up passing on Jackson twice, selecting Georgia teammates, offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn and running back Sony Michel, with the 23rd and 31st overall picks. Rudolph ended up being a third-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Patriots waited until the seventh round to pick their quarterback. Not only was it a surprise that New England waited that long, who they selected was surprising as well.
With the No. 219 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the first pick of the seventh round, the Patriots selected LSU quarterback, Danny Etling. In the seventh round there aren’t many options left, so the Patriots went with who they felt the most comfortable with.
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Etling has the size of an NFL quarterback with a quick release. He wasn’t asked to do much at LSU, but showed great ball security, throwing only two interceptions during the 2017 season compared to 16 touchdowns. In his career, he threw only 19 interceptions.
Etling completed 60 percent of his passes in 2017, showing improvement in that area over his two seasons at Purdue, where he began his collegiate career. The arm strength is there as well that NFL teams like.
However, Etling is a long ways away from being able to run an NFL offense. His mechanics can use some work and he misses reads sometimes, especially downfield. One redeeming quality is that Etling has a good work ethic, which is always appreciated in New England.
This is a developmental pick for the Patriots. They are set at quarterback in 2018 with Tom Brady locked in as the starter and Brian Hoyer as his backup.
However, Etling is unlikely to be their long-term answer at the position. He is an intriguing prospect to develop, but this will not deter the Patriots from looking at other options.